[27.09.2010]
24 Frames meldet...It's hardly an understatement that movies based on video games have had a shaky time out in the marketplace.
Now a new one is having a hard time getting out of the gate.
"Kane & Lynch" seemed like a slam dunk by film-development standards. But uncertainty is mounting for the project.
Based on the popular third-person multi-platform shooter from Eidos Interactive, the movie sported a commercial premise, telling the story of two death row inmates who break out of jail and embark on a big bank job. The project had also attracted the attention of a number of buzzed-about directors. A second "Kane & Lynch" video game had studios seeing franchise.
And, not insignificantly, Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx were on board for the title roles.
The movie from Avi Lerner's Nu Image/Millennium and Lionsgate (the former is financing, the latter distributing domestically), seemed all ready to start shooting next month, with French up-and-comer Patrick Alessandrin (District 13: Ultimatum") preparing to direct.
But the latest turn has Alessandrin has fallen off the film, according to several sources familiar with the project, forcing producers to go back to the drawing board. "Running Scared" helmer Wayne Kramer and "Italian Job" director F. Gary Gray, who at various points were in talks to take the directing reins, are now back in the mix. Producers are also talking to Antoine Fuqua, who collaborated with Millennium on the crime drama "Brooklyn's Finest." But no deal has been struck.
Maybe most important, a planned start date for October has been pushed. The movie is not likely to start production until the first quarter of 2011 at the earliest.
Officials at Lionsgate and Millennium could not immediately be reached for comment. [Update, Saturday 4:24 p.m.: A Millennium spokeswoman says that "the director has not been chosen" and that a "start date is TBD."]
Some Hollywood executives continue to maintain that video games are a fertile source of development. After all, most games have brand recognition and a dramatic arc, two coveted traits for any film project. (Indeed, the "Resident Evil" and "Lara Croft" franchises have demonstrated the axiom. The former has shown surprising box office life with its latest installment, which is headed for a $200 million take internationally.)
But the difficulties in translating a story form one medium to another has more often than not proved difficult. It's why movies such as "Prince of Persia" and "Max Payne" have been misses with both fans and a broader audience.
Things may yet turn around. But “Kane & Lynch” is the latest piece of evidence that it probably won’t happen quickly or cleanly.

[10.06.2010]
Heat Vision meldet...F. Gary Gray has emerged as the top director to take the reins of "Kane and Lynch," the Nu Image/Millenium video game adaptation that stars Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx.
While no official offer has been made, UTA-repped Gray and Millennium are in talks. If a deal is made, it would mark the first movie for the director since his surprise hit, the Gerard Butler-Jamie Foxx thriller "Law Abiding Citizen," grossed over $73 million last fall.
Stunt coordinator and second unit director Simon Crane was helming the project but vacated the director's seat in May due to creative differences.
The movie is a top priority for Millennium, and the company, along with producers Daniel Alter and Adrian Askarieh as well as Willis and his brother David Willis, quickly set about finding a replacement. Wayne Kramer ("The Cooler"), Roger Donaldson ("The Bank Job") and Gray landed on the shortlist, with Gray rising to the top.
The game follows Kane (Willis), a death row inmate who, along with a schizophrenic killer named Lynch (Foxx), is sprung by Kane's former team so that he can retrieve a stolen fortune. Kane travels to Los Angeles, Japan and Cuba, with Lynch acting as the team's watchdog in order to save his wife and daughter.
Gray’s other credits include action thrillers "The Italian Job" "The Negotiator" and "Set It Off."
"Lynch" will be distributed by Lionsgate.

[19.03.2010]
CS! berichtet...Screenwriter Kyle Ward has revealed on his Twitter account that Jamie Foxx has signed to play Lynch in Lionsgate's video game adaptation, Kane & Lynch.
To be directed by Simon Crane, the film is an adaptation of the Eidos Entertainment video game "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men."
Bruce Willis was previously attached to play Adam "Kane" Marcus, a mercenary who makes an unlikely alliance with the schizophrenic killer named James Lynch. The duo is forced on a mission to retrieve a stolen microchip.
Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter will produce with Jason Blumenthal and Todd Black, and the Willis Brothers Co.

[23.10.2009]
Collider sprach kürzlich mit den Produzenten Adrian Askarieh und Daniel Alter...[...] Regarding "Kane & Lynch", they said they’re filming in Louisiana in the spring and Bruce Willis is playing Kane. When I asked who would be playing Lynch, they said we’d find out soon, but then Askarieh told me he’s a British actor. I would assume we’re going to hear who he is any day. [...]

[24.06.2009]
IESB berichtet...
[...] confirmed that 20th Century Fox has hired writer Kyle Ward to pen the script for the sequel to Hitman! [...]
Ward is one of Hollywood's hottest, young writers. He wrote Kane and Lynch currently set up over at Lionsgate starring Bruce Willis with a potential start date of later this year. [...]

[04.06.2008]
Variety.com meldet...Bruce Willis is negotiating to star in "Kane and Lynch," Lionsgate's bigscreen transfer of the Eidos Entertainment vidgame "Kane and Lynch: Dead Men."
Simon Crane will make his feature directing debut after serving as second unit director and stunt coordinator on such films as "Hancock," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Troy" and "X-Men: The Last Stand."
Willis will play Adam "Kane" Marcus, a mercenary who makes an unlikely alliance with schizophrenic killer James Lynch. The pair are forced on a mission to retrieve a stolen microchip. The vidgame has sold 2 million copies worldwide since its launch in November.
Kyle Ward wrote the script. Filmmakers are now looking to set an actor to play Lynch, and shooting will begin before year's end.
Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter will produce with Jason Blumenthal and Todd Black and the Willis Brothers Co.
Askarieh and Alter were producers on the Eidos transfer "Hitman," which grossed $100 million for 20th Century Fox. The producers are also developing "Jonny Quest" at Warner Bros., "Hack/Slash" at Rogue and "Spy-Hunter" for Universal.
Crane is working with Willis as the stunt coordinator on the Jonathan Mostow-directed "The Surrogates" for Touchstone Pictures.

[20.11.2007]
Bei Latino Review gibt es ein Interview mit den Produzenten Adrian Askarieh und Daniel Alter... [...] 'Kayne & Lynch', is Bruce Willis attached?
Askarieh: Honestly, there is no one attached. Danny and I are giant fans of Bruce Willis. For us, Bruce playing Kayne, would be an enormous honor. But no one is attached yet. It’s one of those films that we HOPE to go pre strike, and that’s the plan. Obviously there are a lot of details that need to be worked out. I believe that we will succeed in achieving that goal. No actor is attached, although we are huge fans of Bruce Willis.Alter: Working with Bruce on ‘Kayne & Lynch’, or any movie, would be a dream come true for me.And if he was on board? Which one would you like for him to play?
Askarieh: I think he would be Kayne. [...]

[19.11.2007]
IGN meldet...[...] Two rumored contenders for the title roles in Lionsgate's feature film adaptation of the Eidos videogame Kane & Lynch: Dead Men have reportedly surfaced.
Blog.Wired.com points out an article at Business.TimesOnline.co.uk that claims "Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton are said to be in the running to play Kane and Lynch, two escapees from death row - one 'a flawed mercenary', the other 'a medicated psychopath'." [...]

[31.08.2007]
IGN meldet...[...] Lionsgate is so wildly enthusiastic about Kyle Ward's script for the videogame-to-film adaptation Kane & Lynch that the studio is fast-tracking the project to begin shooting this fall.
We have also heard that several big-name actors are being considered for the title roles, including one A-lister whose identity we're not currently at liberty to disclose but who we're told is eager to do the film and likes Ward's script.
Variety reported in May that two scripts had been in the works for the project, though the plan was to use only one of them. Ward was scripting one, while Jieho Lee and Bob DeRosa penned the other. Now we've confirmed that Ward's draft has won out.
The story will parallel that of the Eidos game, which involves a mercenary named Kane and a "medicated psychopath" called Lynch. The two encounter one another while en route to death row, and together they decide to embark on a quest for revenge against Kane's former employers, one of those mysterious and covert organization types.

[21.05.2007]
Variety.com meldet...Jieho Lee is in negotiations to direct Lionsgate's "Kane and Lynch," an actioner based on the upcoming videogame by Eidos Interactive.
Company is fast-tracking the project, with hopes of shooting sometime in the fall using one of two scripts -- from either Kyle Ward or Lee and Bob DeRosa -- that are being penned at the same time.
Plot of the pic will mimic that of the game, which hits retail in the fall. Mercenary Kane and medicated psychopath Lynch meet while being transported to death row and team to seek revenge on a shadowy organization for which Kane once worked.
Game is published by Eidos ("Tomb Raider") and produced by IO Interactive, creator of the popular "Hitman" franchise.
Lee most recently helmed drama "The Air I Breathe," which he co-wrote with DeRosa. Forest Whitaker, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kevin Bacon and Emile Hirsch star.
Ward, a former assistant at DreamWorks, sold his first script, "Fiasco Heights," to Universal last month, with Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes banner attached to produce.
Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter will produce "Kane and Lynch," with Howard Sun co-producing. Askarieh and Alter are in production on the feature adaptation of "Hitman," which Fox will release in October.
The duo also have "Hack/Slash" and "Lost Squad," based on the Devil's Due Publishing comicbooks, set up at Rogue Pictures. Askarieh is also producing "Spy Hunter" at Universal, based on Midway's popular vidgame. [...]

[12.02.2007]
Variety.com meldet...Lionsgate has acquired screen rights to Eidos Interactive vidgame "Kane & Lynch," which has not yet been released.
Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter will produce. Howard Sun will co-produce.
Game teams mercenary Kane with schizophrenic named Lynch. They meet while being transported to death row, only to be attacked and kidnapped by Kane's former team. The unlikely duo is forced to retrieve a stolen fortune that Kane has hidden.
"Kane & Lynch" deal is the second between Eidos and the producers, who are in pre-production at 20th Century Fox on "Hitman," an adaptation of an Eidos game to star Timothy Olyphant.
Askarieh and Alter have a Rogue Pictures deal for "Hack/Slash" and "Lost Squad," both based on entries from the Devil's Due Publishing comicbook series. Askarieh is also producing "Spy Hunter" at Universal based on the vidgame.